Wise Buyer: Saab 900
1994-2002 A second generation model that carried on where the seminal original left off
How to buy smart and get yourself a great 900 or 9-3 for peanuts.
‘The 900 MKII had excellent safety credentials and distinctive design’
When General Motors bought into Saab in 1989, it provided the legendary Swedish company with a much-needed lifeline. Saab’s fortunes had suffered to the extent that it was selling just 120,000 cars a year globally at that point in time and, without the resources of GM, it couldn’t have developed a new 900 to replace the model that had been on sale since 1978. Despite this, many saw GM’S involvement as a bad thing, but the 900 MKII retained enough individuality for it to be a proper Saab with its excellent safety credentials and distinctive design. Ultimately the second-generation 900 proved disappointing in many ways, but Saab did its best to fix things with a hefty facelift when the car was eventually renamed 9-3.
Why you want one
These Saabs were often pilloried for being ‘little more than a rebodied Vauxhall Vectra’, thanks to its GM platform and underpinnings. But the Vectra was a perfectly decent car, and besides – the 900/9-3 retained much of the Saab individuality in terms of styling, safety and build quality. None of the Saab’s contemporaries offer the same balance of strength, comfort, value, ready availability and durability.
You get a healthy dose of practicality too, as all of these cars came in hatchback form with either three doors or five. That’s with the exception of the convertible, which still looks classy and it’s a genuine four-seater, but a lack of rigidity means scuttle shake is the norm.
Why now is the time to buy
Many classic fans assume that because Saab is now defunct, parts availability for its cars must be poor. But that’s not so at all; with so many of these cars surviving, there isn’t much that you can’t buy to keep one as good as new thanks to a mix of excellent parts availability and straightforward DIY maintenance. Check out saabplanet.com online for lots of tips on Saab ownership.
Values are currently very keen as both the 900 and the 9-3 are at that banger phase. There’s little difference in values between the 900 and 9-3, while engine and (to a point) body style also don’t affect values that much – it’s largely down to condition and (to a lesser degree) mileage. Just £500-£750 gets you into a Saab that’s done 100,000 miles and comes with a decent history, while £1500 secures something with the same sort of mileage, but which is in really nice condition.
Even the best, low-mileage 900s and 9-3s struggle to fetch more than £3000, with few priced at more than half this – although a superb example of the ultra-rare 2.3-litre 9-3 Viggen can fetch up to £6000 these days. All other petrol-powered 9-3s got a 2.0-litre engine.
Which one?
It’s easy to get confused by Saab’s different models, so first some clarification. The original 900 was made from 1978 until 1994 when an all-new car took over, known internally as the NG900.
That remained in production until 2002, although in 1998 it was facelifted to become the 9-3, not to be confused with the second-generation 9-3 MKII (known as the 9-3 Sport) sold from 2002 until 2014. We’re covering the 900 MKII and 9-3 MKI here, which are effectively the same car – although Saab made 1100 changes to turn the 900 into the original 9-3.
One thing that the replacement 900 MKII carried over was the reliable 1985cc four-cylinder engine that had been the mainstay of the original 900 model. This was offered alongside a 2290cc version of the same basic engine, with both displacements coming in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms. There were also 2.5 V6 petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines from the GM parts bin; the latter offers decent pace with excellent economy, but the power delivery is quite peaky.
A five-speed manual transmission was specified as standard, while a four-speed Warner-aisin automatic unit was also available at extra cost. The latter incorporated a complicated ECU with three separate driving modes (Sport, winter, and Normal). Another two-pedal option was the Sensonic clutchless manual gearbox, offered with the 2.0-litre turbo-equipped engine only.
Can you make it better?
One of the key criticisms levelled at the 900 was that its handling wasn’t sharp enough. As a result, some owners have fitted thicker anti-roll bars plus uprated springs and dampers to stiffen things up. Other improvements include poly bushes in the front wishbones, an ECU upgrade on Turbo models, Aero-spec brake disc and calliper upgrades along with a steering rack brace. The latter secures the rack to the bulkhead to sharpen things up and reduce bulkhead flex, minimising stress damage. Most of these cars came shod with 16in wheels as standard, but some upmarket models were treated to 17in alloys. The latter often get fitted to lesser models and, while the car’s looks are improved, the ride quality is affected by more than you’d think. Fit the bigger wheels to a convertible and the lack of rigidity will quickly become even more apparent.